Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-25
A REFORMED BURGLAR.
How the Change was Brought About-A
Good Resolution-The Result.

- nCF SnNGb S'NeSN
How the Change was Brought About-A
Good Res~olution-The Result.
On my discharge from prison | found
the way open TO mt for fresh oircnses
even greater than the one | had COM
mitted. My father had died while | was
still in prison, and my mother had mar.
ried again. | found my former prison
associate waiting for me in II large city.
We formed a partnership in crime which
lasted nearly seven years, during which
we perlctrated over fifty hurglarlcs. In
m of these were VIC detected, though
several times we had narrow escapes, and
l was once arrested, charged with an
ofIense with which | had no connection.
Fortunately for me, the real criminal, a
man Of whom | had no knowledge, was
discovered, and ! was discharged from
custody. Why. then, did cease being a
burglar and become an honest man: ]
had been more than ordinarily successful
in my criminal career, and lad. save in
nv first crime, committed when ! was a
novice in the business, escaped all punish
ment for my violations Of law. This is
how the change came about. One night
as | sat in my well furnished room real
ing the last numlcr Of a popular maya
zine. something that | peruscd set me To
thinking. Ii was "A story III which &C.
CURED the expression that in the long run
a man, other things heing equal, could
make more by honest than by dishonest
work. stopped reading and endeavored
10 call to mimi the amount of my gains.
| had no trouble in doing so. being as
sisted by full notes that | had kept in a
cipher Of my own designing.
| had never fully contemplated the
matter before. but now, with pen and
paper, ] put the whole subject before my
eyes. Not counting my first burglary. |
found that my share Of all the others
amounted To the sum of about S2l, 900,
or nearly $1,000 a year. At that mo-
ment had as the entire profits Of my
profession. the sum Of S2l0 in cash. to-
gether with a fair stock of clothes and a
watch that had bought, for | was too
shrewd Ia wear one that | had stolen. |
was not addicted To drinking, gambling,
or other Of what | may call small vices,
but my expenses in travelling, in eluding
detections and in fleeing certain officers Of
the law had been heavy, 50 that | had
never been able 10 do much more than
10 maintain myself in a way that was
neither luxurious as regarded the body
nor comfortable so far as the mind was
,Annar,a1 .-az a1.r-nt - .araE.tflaI .f,1
constantly in fear Of arrest. | was
never sure at night when | went to led
that | should not before morning be in
irons and on my way 10 prison. Besides
all this, | had had a great deal of mrl
physical labor to perform, and was often
obliged To spend hours in all sorts Of
cralnpel and otherwise uncomfortable
positions.
Three thousand dollars a year. That
was all. | knew that | had the ability
To make much more than that sum at
honest work if | could only get the
honest work to do. and that. too, with.
out such wear and tear Of mind as | had
endured for seven years. to say nothing
OF my term Of imprisonment.
That night my resolution was taken,
and the next morning | was on my way
10 a remote part If the country under the
name that | now bear. With my 5000
and $3.50 moro that ! obtained from the
sale Of my watch. l bought n small bust
ness that was for sale. and became a
citizen Of a thriving town. Reading in
duced reflection, and better principles
were developed IN me, and little 10y little
the idea dawned upon me that II was my
duty IN make restitution, and ! began 10
save money with that object in view.
cannot, without danger Of revealing
my identity, give any further particulars
OF my life. Suffice il to say Mat | am
now nearly 60 years If age. that I have
restored over $4,000 of stolcn money.
and that | have the rest in safe kri iul
ready TO give il back as soon M I can
find the lawful owners. | have ratirrl
from business Of my own hut luil 4
responsible position in a first-class c@tab.
lishment with a salary of over $4,000 a
year, and am, | believe. respected 10y AL
who know me.-New York Star.